r/j 
§ 
I 
I TWO DOIJ.ARS A, 
YEAR. 
“ PROGRESS AND IMPROVEMENT.” 
[SINGrXiK NO. FIVE CKNT8. 
VOL. XV. NO. 2.J 
1' 
ROCHESTER, N. Y.-FOR THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 1864. 
WHOLE NO. 730. 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER, 
AN OBKltNAL WKKKLY 
RURAL, IJTERARY AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER. 
CONDUCTED BY D. D. T. MOORE, 
With aOtriwaf At>l« AwtUtanU nnil Gantrtbutora. 
taiAH. D. BRAQDON, Wow lorn (JorrowponctsnR Editor. 
HENRY B. RANDALL, LL. D.. 
Sklitor Dopurtraonl of Bbeop Husbandry, 
SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR*: 
P. HARRY, C. DKWKY, LL. I>., 
H. T. BROOKS, L. B. LA NO WORTHY, 
W. T. KENNEDY, Jr, Aamslont Otnoo Editor. 
Title Rural NkW-Youiuck in dmUgned to bo iwunir- 
pa»ii<d In Value, Purity, and Variety of Con ton to, ami 
tmlquo and hcuuUful In Appearance. ItH Conductor 
devotee til* panto nal attention to Uie mipervldnn of ltd 
various depurltnenlii, and earnestly labor* to render 
tli« ItriliAL an eminently Reliable Guide on all Un¬ 
important Practical, Scientific and oUier Hnb>-cUi Inti¬ 
mately connected with the bnnlnew, of tliooe whose 
interentii It zcaloimly lolvofateii. Ai a Kamii.y JoUKNai, 
it l« eminently Instructive and Entertaining- -belli* #o 
conducted that It can be safety taken to the Home* of 
people of Intelligence, taste and dWcrlmlnnUon. H 
embrace* more Agricultural, Horticultural, Scientific., 
Educational, Literary and News Matter, Interitperned 
with appropriate Engravings, than any other journal, 
rendering it the most complete A outdo.Tint al Litk- 
ka it y and Kamily Nkwhi'M'i ii In America. 
tr Nor Terms and other particulars, see last pone. 
“A LAZY MAN’S 8H0VEL." 
Did you over whs one? It won poiulpd out to 
me by one of that clan* who Hjiurn everything 
from them that saves Ktre.ngth. It wa* in the 
barn of one of yonr paper-taking and reading 
fanner* one of the real genuine book-farmers, 
of whom we should In- proud—a man who not 
only reads, but actually thinks for himself who 
analyse* your article and mine, reader, and 
select* tile practical truths for his u*e, if tliey 
can lie prolitubly applied in his practice. 
Well, this shovel sUxsi there in the stable, and 
I said, taking hold of it, “ tliis is a good shovel 
the right one for a fanner’s burn." 
*' It’s a shovel for a lazy man," said Job .1 aw- 
brwakkr— a man who prides himself on doing 
more hard work than imy man in town, and 
who certainly get* less pay for it than men who 
depend less upon the exercise of their muscle, 
and more upon their brain*. I know the clans 
of Rural reader* who attend fairs, visit Agri¬ 
cultural warehouses in large centers, and make 
it a i>olnt to visit and talk with the best farmers 
they can hear of, will not need to be told that 
there is economy of time, of money, of labor, 
and of life, in the use of a kmy-hiuulled shovel 
a shovel with a handle as long as an ordinary 
pitch-fork handle. Hut there Is a large class of 
men left in the world I don’t Know why who 
believe they have a great deal more knowledge 
now than ihcy can use l<> advantage, who do not 
know Unit Uiere ever was a long-handled shovel 
made and who, If they were to see one, as Jon 
,J. did would insist that the sight of it on a farm 
i* a token of indolence. 
It is tiot often that we see a farmer w ho has 
lived and labored twenty years on a farm, who 
is not more or less bowed, bent, or broken down 
by labor, and the unnatural position* in which 
he ha* wrought because he ha* not worked with 
suit Able tools. 
If he plows, he manage* to ride the handled of 
Uie plow, hi* body bent forward at nearly a right 
angle, lie doe* not walk up close between the 
bandies, stand straight, and simply evert him- 
hc.H to guide and steady the plow diminishing 
Uie labor to himself and the team too. I’ve 
seen some men plow who seemed to be pushing 
the plow iuto Uie gi'owud. if the plow is worth 
using, and the team is properly attached, there 
should be no such ground .uid lolly tumbling, 
even among Uie roekN and Atone* of some of Lho 
.States, as may be seen practiced by plowmen in 
almost every neighborhood. 
Then, again, how many firmer* can you count 
of your acquaint ailCO Unit shuul '(.might when 
they hoo corn Y Most men's bodies are at right 
angles to their legs, and Uie support of the btsly 
is divided between the musclod of the legs and 
thosu of Uie arms. But Lhcso doublonl-up hoo- 
men lire nut /.he men who accomplish most in a 
day. Tliey are not the men who live longest 
and prosper most They are not, a* a rule, the 
thinking men. And but a few years go by 
before one would suppose their round shoulders 
and di*torted bodies to have been so normally. 
And now. to come back to the “lazy man’s 
shovel." Here is a chance to try it in Uiis cow 
stable, an hundred feet long. The manure is to 
be put through those windows. Take Uiis 
short-handled slmvel and throw out the manure 
for twenty feet- You will the better appreciate 
the difference. You stoop for every shovel-full. 
If you are a right-handed showier, your right 
hand is bespattered with manure a* you fill Uie 
shovel. Then if you Uirow It clear of the win¬ 
dow, you have got to learn the knack of jerking 
it. And if you have labored all your life at this 
disadvantage, you will find your back ache* 
when you shall have got the first twenty feet 
cleaned. You will lay your hand around ou it 
and straighten up painfully. 
Now take the “lazy man’s shovel." Stand 
straight! Take a single stop toward the win¬ 
dow, and swing Uie load or excrement clean 
through it, ton feet. How easy it wan done, 
wasn't it! No, sir, do not stoop now to loud 
your shove! again; stand straight up. like a 
good, conscientious man, a* you are; (ill the 
shovel and discharge it without, incurring the 
buck-ache. How easy you breathe, standing up¬ 
right ! Don’t you find it bettor ? Your shoulders 
work in their placo in their proper relation 
to the rest of the body. You accomplish more 
in the same time. And I notice that Uie boys 
do not have to keep an old ax stored in the sta¬ 
ble with which to cut away the frozen manure 
from Uie window in Uie morning, in order that 
tliey may Clean Uie stable. It is a good thing 
Uiis “ buy man’s shovel!" 
s • ♦ ♦ 
THE WILLOW SWAMPS. 
Thk past year ha* witnessed a wonderful 
clearing up of the willow swamp* of the 
country. East and West this work of tidying 
up uncouth, low, swampy places, to the extent 
ol cutting the willows, has been prosecuted. 
And it lias been discovered that it pay* to do this 
thing Unit Uiese willows have a Commercial 
value. Willows, white, black and yellow,— wil¬ 
lows, two-colored, woolly-headed and leadnn- 
flowered, willows, I’amenchy, Bedford and 
Babylonian, Frost, Basket and Crack, Sago, 
Herb and Dubious, Beaked, Stiff-leaved and 
Heart-leaved, Purslfs, Toney’s and Muhlen¬ 
berg’s - willows, it mattered litUe what their 
name and character, were wanted to supply the 
demand existing for them on Uie prairies. 
Every township has been canvassed. Every 
farmer ha* been visited. Everybody ha* bought 
willows and strange to suy, by some spiritual 
process, some miracle akin to that which (limed 
water into wine in the t 'ana of Uie Scriptures, no 
one ha* purchased anything but th * While Wilr 
bno — hktlkr. aUxi! The swamp* of New York, 
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and 
Wisconsin, have contributed to supply this de¬ 
mand. In Ohio, one houcst-faccd former was 
found vigorously cutting up hi* old willow 
swamp, and was asked what he was doing that 
for. “ Why, you see they arc doing a big Uiing 
in willows out in Illinois and Iowa, and are 
running short of a supply. St they have bought 
mine. 1 didn’t know Uii* uvw the White Wil¬ 
low till a dealer told me so. I never thought it 
would make a fence; but he says 'twill, and ef I 
don’t sell all out clean. I shall stick in a few cut¬ 
tings mill toy it. Hut I toll you they an: swallow¬ 
ing the willow out West, gooiL” 
And the last assertion iH true. It is currently 
rumored that the man who furnished the money 
by which the enterprise of one of our contem¬ 
poraries was so remarkably developed, made 
seventy-five thousand dollars, eloau cash, out of 
the credulity of the sharp farmers of the W«'*t- 
om State*. And it i* more than rumored it is 
asserted that some of the Western Nurserymen 
made all the money they could from willows 
which cost thorn nothing but the cutting and l 
stripping from the swamps lying near some of ! 
tile inland lakes and streams. 
It I* proper to ask our readers to hold on to 
their money awhile before they invest in willows 
the comingseason. Smooth-tongued, soft-vniood, 
garrulous chaps, with Innocent eyes, will call 
upon you with a big willow club, showing the 
enormous growth in a year or two, or a piece of 
willow plonk from one of Overman's steam 
how mi Us, or a miniature hedge on paper and an 
odltorlul copied from the Auti-humbug un¬ 
precedented enterprise- five—ca j me ions 
editor*—Agriculturist. And these fellows will 
very likely toll you that opposition to this wil¬ 
low come* from men who have never visited 
nor wen the wonderful willow fences,, and who 
have never received auy of r ’* money, 
because, they never hatl a chance! Do not beHeve 
them in any one. of these particulars, for it is not true! 
If you want the White Willow there arc 
ninety-nine chance* you will get something else, 
to one that you will get what you want. 
Yours, faithfully and sincerely I—c. D. B. 
—— ■ — - - — 
MAKING AND FILLING ICE-HOUSES. 
Tub R&jL-ier of Jiitral Affairs for 1864—a work 
heretofore strongly commended in the Rural— 
give* the following article on Ice-Houses in its 
“ Work for January:’’ 
Fm. 1— Rough cv Shanty Ico House, left open nnder 
Uie caw for vcnUlnUon 
Cheap one* may be quickly constructed, in the 
form of strong board shanties. Rig. 1,) with a 
good but not tight floor, Place a few inches of 
sawdust on the floor, pile up the ice compactly 
in square blocks, leaving a space of eight to 
twelve inches all around, next to the boards, to 
be tilled with sawdust, trodden in, as the struc¬ 
ture of ice is built onward*. Cover the whole 
with eight or ton iilehe- of sawdust, and let 
plenty of fresh air blow tb rough the shanty over 
the. top. Ice will keep in thm way a* well a* In 
the most costly and elaborate building. Chaff 
or finely cut straw may be substituted for the 
sawdust; but being less perfect non-conductors, 
should be in thicker layers. 
- ' —7 
Flo. 2— tec House, above Ground One door is enough 
for common sized House*. 
Iet-housi * built of boards, with double wall*, 
(tig, 2.) tilled In with sawdust, although they do 
not keep ice better than those just described, 
save some labor by obviating the removal of the 
sawdust every time (Jo y are tilled with ice. But 
even these should have a thin st ratum of saw¬ 
dust, sav three or four inches, between the walls 
and the ice, which should be tillcil in and pressed 
har d as each layer is laid. 
t 
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ICC IN 
| m acn 
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J,; 
Fui 3— Plan of Sinpio Wall or Board Ice House 
The accompanying plans and views show the 
construction of these building*, it will be seen 
in the view of the double-walled house, that a 
large ventilating w iudow is placed In each end 
at the top; these windows should always be 
open. There are tw o double doors at one end in 
large building, and one in small one these are 
■ saw-iiust 1 '.,- 
e — 
hvt 
7T“ 
r* . . 
ICE IN 
BLOCKS 
\m 
Kio I—Plan ef Double Wall Board Ice-House 
for filling and taking the ice out at different 
heights. Can- should be taken that all the saw¬ 
dust be pressed solid, anil uo cavities left. An 
lee-house with one apartment, eight by ten feet, 
and sl\ feet high, (including a foot of sawdust 
all around,) w 1 keep iec enough for a moderate 
family. 
KEEP HUSBANDRY. 
EDITED BY HENRY S. RANDALL. LL. D. 
T^TriE Editor of tJii* Department is absent 
in Ohio, having been appointed to deliver the 
Address before the Ohio Wool Grower*' Con¬ 
vention, January 6th. 
QUESTIONS BY CORRESPONDENTS. 
W k shall always be happy to answer questions 
in regard to the practical management of sheep, 
their disease*, etc., so far a* our knowledge ex¬ 
tends; and when not prepared to express an 
opinion in any given case, we will, if it seems 
sufficiently important, lay the fact* before our 
readers in the hope of eliciting the requisite 
information from some of them. This offer, 
however, extends only to interrogatories based 
ou actual fact* or affecting practical interests. 
Those questions are best understood, and gen¬ 
erally most accurately describe the facts, whioh 
employ those common descriptive terms which 
farmers use in talking with each other. Anil in 
putting inquiries to i licit information, it is bettor 
carefully to state the actual facts, than the con¬ 
clusions based on them. This is especially true, 
in describing dbwases. Thus, let the minute 
symptoms of fever be described, if they appear, 
rather than say the animal exhibited fever. 
The reason for till* is, that, cynry person doe* not 
distinctly understand what the symptoms of 
fever are, and by giving his unsupported opinion 
ou the subject, he may present a wholly errone¬ 
ous view of the case. And even if right in the 
general fact that fever exists, there may be col¬ 
lateral febrile symptoms which, if known, would 
essentially modify the. aspect, or determine the 
precise character of that fever. We hope to be 
able at uo distant day to give a list of the princi¬ 
pal symptoms to be made the subjects of obser¬ 
vation and description in (vise of disease. With 
the closest and most reliable description of fact*, 
it is often Impossible to identify obscure mala¬ 
dies; and the most familiar one* can not be 
prescribed for with contidenee on a partial rep¬ 
resentation of the symptoms. 
---- - - - 
DOG TAXES. 
W k understand that in some countie* or parts 
of countie* of New York, the dog tax has 
already ceased to he enforced. In three or four 
countie* the levying of this tav and the disburs¬ 
ing of its proceed* were, by an express provision 
of the law. turned over to the town ollicers. In 
other isountie* the Supervisors have, without 
any legal authority that we know of, in tike 
manner put the dog tax of each town under the 
direction of the town boards- Intending to 
make each town wpanitdy defray the damages 
for the sheep killed by dogs in it, provided Lhu 
owuers of the dogs can not be (Uncovered or the 
damage* collected from them. There‘would not 
be much practical objection to Uiis, as between 
rural towns, if the law was thus enforced. But 
suppose one town in a county is covered by a 
city which a warms with dogs, while there is nut. 
a sheep in it outside of it* market pens. If city 
curs sally out into the adjacent country to kill 
sheep, ought not the city to help pay for those 
sheep. But whim the execution of the law is 
left to towns, it is not enforced. We know of 
instance* already where town officers have 
omitted to levy the taxes thus left to their 
direction. The reason for the omission was, that 
no sheep, or hut a small number, had Wen killed 
in the town the preceding year, and that the 
avails of the preceding year tax were still on 
hand to defray future damages until it should 
become necessary to raise another tax. 
Rut tliia course, beside* being unlawAil, de¬ 
feat* one of the prime object* of taxing dogs, 
viz., the diminution of the Joj nuisance. And an 
intolerable nuisance it is. The worthless -uid 
mischievous cuts which infest our country con¬ 
sume and destroy far more, than enough in value 
to support the poor of the country. John II. 
lvtarPARi*, Esq., Corresponding Secretary of the 
State Board of Agriculture in Ohio, ha* pub¬ 
lished statistics. In which ho estimate* the value 
of tlie food (which could otherwise he fid to 
hogs, poultry, Ac.,) annually consumed by dogs 
in that State to be worth three and a half mil¬ 
lions of dollars—which ho states is more than 
three-fourths the total amount of State faxes for 
the years 1861, or 1.862, and just the amount of 
those faxes for I860. And ho states that bo- 
side* this, dogs killed sheep in that Stale from 
1855 to 1862 inclusive, to the value of $508,043, 
or on the average $101,608 per annum. There 
are no reasons, that we are aware of, for believ¬ 
ing the cur nuisance more prevalent hi Ohio 
than in other State*. If the auiiual Ios*es by it 
in New York, or any other State, were carefully 
ascertained, the result would probably striko u* 
with equal astonishment—an astouishment bor¬ 
dering on incredulity. 
Let every State make laws calculated to repress 
this evil, and make them too stringent to be 
evaded. We trust Senator Cornell, of New 
York, will mature and procure* the passago of an 
amendment to the dog laws of New York, which 
will prevent their evasion in future. 
SHEEP HUSBANDRY IN NEW YORK 
To the *erion* port of the following letter from the 
former editor of TV Wool Orovs-r ami Stoch Remitter we 
call Uie attention of iho Hon. Gkouok Glenn**, and 
request him to reply to it.—K d.] 
Dear Docrrok:—1 am glad you have finally 
got into a position where you cannot help but be 
useful. You have done a great many kind* of 
work in your day, but I will venture something 
that editing the wool or sheep department in 
such a paper :u the Rural New-Yorker, i* 
different from anything you ever attempted 
before. 1 think 1 have had a little experience 
in that lino! 
But I am glad your "fist i* to" for another 
reason. I am quite anxious'to throw stone* at' 
you, and could not do it very well while you 
were only a common man like the mo*t of us. 'md 
allowed our children to swing on youf gate, or 
play on your front dooreHtep*, and kept out of 
sight. But now you are In the street, and can¬ 
not object if we oecatrionally shie a "rock" at 
you. 
Our mutual friend “ Cedric the Saxon," when 
T cross my leg* under hi* mahogany, in my an¬ 
nual pilgrimage to hi* model home, comes down 
on hr* for my notions about sheep. Of course 
we do not agree. For while I am one of Uie 
most yielding men in the world, a* you know 
he is quite a* positive, .uid we generally leave off 
mutually satisfied with our own opinions, though 
each agree* that Uie other ha* some good points 
in his argument*. 
One point of our disagreement is on the reln- 
Uve merit* of course and fine-wooled sheep in 
the general farm management of this State; and 
that i* one of the rock* that I have aimed at 
you. It is more profitable for the farmers in 
this State to grow sheep for mutton than for 
wool. There’s my glove, and I expect you to 
take it up. I know you and “ Cedric” consider 
this rank heresy. But l am prepared to break a 
lance, or wear out a very poor pen in defense of 
that proposition. Outddo of the grain growing 
region, which is about 19 per cent, of the im¬ 
proved lands of the State, it is not profitable to 
grow sheep at all, uules* to -ell fat to the 
butchers, either as Limbs or older sheep. And 
:in analysis of Uie State with reference to its 
agricultural capacity, and grouping Uie several 
counties accordingly, will show Unit, except in 
particular location*, to grew sheep for wool 
would be one of the least profitable employ¬ 
ment* the farmer could adopt. 
1 send you a map of the State, showing you 
the manner of grouping the several counties, 
which I have adopted in preparing a general 
report of the Agricultural Condition of Uie 
State, with the present valuation of the real 
estate and future prospect* of increase to such 
valuations, together with the population and 
wealth of each group, and Lho reasons therefor. 
1 think the grouping will bring out some facts 
In regard to our agriculture that are interesting, 
though to make a report a* full and exhaustive 
as I could wish, is a work which requires more 
time and statistic* than I can at present command. 
Perhaps I should qualify my proposition by 
saying that growing sheep for wool is not the 
iuo*t. profitable hranoh of fanning that the far¬ 
mer could adopt over most part* of thi* State In 
Uie present rendition of It* (sericulture. 
I am tuily aware of the odd* against me, and 
that 1 am abiding a very strong fortification, ua 
a sort of forioru ho;*:. But if beaten, it will 
not bo die first time, *o say your say. 
liindly yours, T, c. Peters. 
Darien, Dec 27, t8U3. 
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